Tool 04 · Chapter 5 + Appendix C

Supplier vetting scorecard.

Two gates from Chapter 5. First, the public-record check — seven signals you can read before ever messaging a supplier. Then the 12-question conversation script (Appendix C). The book's rule: three or more vague or missing answers = next supplier, regardless of price.

Gate 1 — public record (Ch. 5.2)

Account/store age Pass: 2+ years · Investigate: 1–2 years · Fail: under 1 year

Feedback rate on meaningful volume Pass: 97%+ · Investigate: 95–97% · Fail: under 95%

Recent negative reviews Pass: isolated, varied · Investigate: a repeating theme · Fail: same failure weekly

Response time to a specific question Pass: under 12h · Investigate: 12–24h · Fail: over 24h or generic paste

Processing time, stated Pass: 1–3 days in writing · Investigate: "3–7 days" · Fail: "depends"

Shipping lines offered Pass: named lines with tracking · Investigate: "standard shipping" · Fail: cheapest-only

Stock depth on your SKU Pass: confirmed numerically · Investigate: "in stock" · Fail: won’t answer

Gate 2 — the 12-question script (Appendix C)

1. Processing time now — and at 50 orders/day

2. Shipping lines to the US: cost + typical delivery

3. Current stock on this SKU + stockout notification

4. Defect rate + damaged-unit process

5. Blind shipping — no branding or invoices

6. Photos/video of the actual unit today

7. Real Chinese New Year stop-ship and resume dates

8. Order intercept/modify window for wrong addresses

9. Pricing at 10/30/50 orders per day

10. US warehouse stock, current or planned

11. Lost-package process: what they need, how long

12. Answered everything within 24 hours

SCORECARD

Public-record fails0

Public-record investigates0

Vague or missing answers0 / 12

Pre-sale responsiveness is the best service you will ever get from a supplier — they are courting you. Project today's latency onto your worst week.

From the book: Chapter 5 explains which four script answers carry the highest diagnostic yield, what a real answer sounds like for each, and the paste-ready version of the full script (Appendix C).

From the Book

Chapter 5 covers the landscape, the lines, and the crisis playbook.

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